The Marquis's line has ended? The pregnant maid is pregnant again!

That night, at Fu Hua Tang.

"Madam, I've found out! The gatekeeper says the young marquis has just returned!"

The personal maid, Hongxing, hurried in to report, "I only heard that the young marquis has passed away..."

A young maid was untying Qin's hairpins, while another maid was combing her hair.

Qin sat upright before the bronze mirror, gazing at her reflection. Even before Hongxing finished speaking, she seemed to have guessed something:

"Still at Shen Qinghe's place?"

"Madam is wise." After saying this, Hongxing lowered her head nervously.

Qin merely raised an eyebrow, the restlessness and anger she felt upon hearing the news earlier long gone. Instead, she played with the mutton-fat jade comb in her hand: "The last time my husband returned was at the Autumn Equinox Banquet. He didn't come back to the manor for three or four days in between. This time, he went straight to Shen Qinghe's courtyard. It's clear that Shen Qinghe's methods are indeed not simple."

As she spoke, Madam Qin stroked the mutton-fat jade comb, a gift from the Lady of the Marquis. Her voice was calm: "And look at the other three in the bamboo garden. They're all useless. Since they're useless, we won't keep them. It's just a matter of seeing who among Shen Qinghe and the other three will stay."

Hongxing was Qin Shi's personal maid, brought from the Duke of Qin's mansion. She had been with Qin Shi since childhood and had received a lot of instruction from the Duchess, so she was much better at it than Zhou Mama.

Hongxing quickly chimed in, "That's the right way to think, Madam. We have plenty of ways to get rid of Shen Qinghe. You don't necessarily have to personally get involved and compete with her for her affections. That would only lower your status and prestige."

"That's right. But it would be a huge mistake to let such a good opportunity go to waste." Madam Qin said, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Prepare some things for me tomorrow."

-

Shen Qinghe had already received news from Lin Feng that Lu Jihan was coming today.

She specially prepared some food and changed into a plain-colored dress, but who knew that what came in before Lu Jihan was a bronze mirror.

A bronze mirror... as tall as a person, supported by a mahogany frame at the bottom.

When the two servants struggled to carry it in, Shen Qinghe was dumbfounded.

Although bronze mirrors are not uncommon, a bronze mirror this large is indeed rare.

Moreover, how can the three characters "bronze mirror" and "Lu Jihan" be connected?

Caught off guard, Shen Qinghe tugged at the sleeve of a garment fluttering in the wind and asked, "What's this!?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "This subordinate doesn't know either. Miss, you should ask Master when he arrives."

After the two finished their conversation, the servant carrying the bronze mirror put it down and turned to leave. Just then, a deep, cold voice rang out—

"What do you mean??"

Upon seeing Lu Jihan enter, Lin Feng quickly excused himself, leaving only Shen Qinghe and Lu Jihan in the room.

Shen Qinghe glanced at the bronze mirror, which was as tall as a person, beside her. "Master... although I usually wear makeup, I don't need such a large bronze mirror. Isn't this a bit too... too extravagant and wasteful?"

"Why do you say that?" Lu Jihan did not expect Shen Qinghe to react this way. According to his guess, no woman would dislike seeing a bronze mirror.

Girls love to dress up and pay more attention to their clothes and image, not to mention the daughters of wealthy and powerful families.

This bronze mirror, as tall as a person, is not exactly priceless, but it is certainly hard to find and is highly sought after in Chang'an.

If it were any of his other wives or concubines, they would probably have already come up to thank him with beaming smiles.

She's different.

Shen Qinghe looked at him and explained softly, "This servant just felt that an ordinary bronze mirror would suffice. A bronze mirror as tall as a person would be more difficult to make and more expensive. The old lady has always advocated frugality in the mansion and that extravagance is not advisable, so this servant misspoke just now."

"You seem to remember Grandmother's words quite well." Lu Jihan chuckled, not expecting Shen Qinghe's response, and couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

"You don't need to tell me all that. Just tell me, do you like it or not?"

The little girl bit her lower lip, which made Lu Jihan frown. He reached out and pressed his thumb directly onto Shen Qinghe's lower lip.

"What are you biting??" He had to use a little force to make Shen Qinghe release her lips. Lu Jihan frowned: "Don't you like it?"

All I have to ask her is whether she likes it or not.

That shouldn't be the case.

"I like it!" Shen Qinghe said, then lightly bit his fingertip with her teeth, pretending it was unintentional, and looked at him with wide eyes in surprise: "Master, this servant didn't mean to."

Her eyes were wide open and bright, making Lu Jihan's heart soften.

The skin on her fingertips, where she had bitten them with her pearly teeth, felt a tingling, slightly itchy sensation.

Lu Jihan's gaze couldn't help but fall on Shen Qinghe's lips.

This little girl…

At this moment, Shen Qinghe did not let the two of them continue in such an ambiguous atmosphere; some things are best left unsaid.

The goal was to stop short of a confrontation, especially since the target was a vigilant yet wise and capable man like Lu Jihan.

If it goes even slightly too far, it might be seen as deliberate seduction in Lu Jihan's eyes.

Shen Qinghe gradually became more adept at striking this balance.

Shen Qinghe blinked and asked, "Master, did you come here specifically to deliver this bronze mirror to me?"

"You really dare to dream." Lu Jihan's jawline tightened at her words. He walked to the table, sat down with an air of authority, and finally calmed the tingling sensation in his fingertips: "I'm hungry."

Shen Qinghe's cooking came in handy. She took out a radish and mutton soup noodle from the food box and pushed it in front of Lu Jihan: "It's already autumn now, a perfect time to warm your stomach. I imagine you must be hungry after a long day outside, so I didn't want you to wait any longer. I made it simple."

As she spoke, Shen Qinghe handed him the silver chopsticks.

A bowl of soup noodles, brimming with the aroma of radish and mutton, floats in the broth. A few drops of oil and bright green scallions adorn the thick, white soup, giving it a light and refreshing appearance.

Lu Jihan frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed.

After all, people who have been hungry for most of the day generally don't want to eat bland food; they want something appetizing and flavorful to soothe their empty stomach.

But he was never one to be extravagant. Since Shen Qinghe had made it, Lu Jihan took the chopsticks and ate a bite of noodles first.

The noodles were still chewy and smooth, and the most amazing thing was the taste of the mutton soup.

Lu Jihan raised an eyebrow. The taste in his mouth was quite unexpected. He hadn't expected that this soup noodle dish, which looked light, would have such a strong flavor.

Lu Jihan picked up the bowl and took a big gulp of the radish and mutton soup. There was no gamey smell at all. The fresh, fragrant, rich, and sweet mutton soup soothed his empty stomach.